Your cell phone doesn't always work from the airport, but do
you know the reason?

The buzz is that cellular antennas are banned near airports,
that air traffic control interferes with the frequencies used by
wireless phones, and even that the control tower uses the same
frequency as cell phones.

More likely, there are too many users trying to access the same
cellular tower, according to John Grotland of GSM wireless service
provider Omnipoint Communications. "There could be a bunch of
people using the same carrier," he explains.

Then there are the so-called "dead spots" where a cell
phone call can't be made, a factor exacerbated by height
restrictions of antennas near airports. And some multilevel
terminals shield passengers from a mobile phone signal on a lower
floor.

George Shaginaw, senior vice president of technology and
operations at the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association,
says the industry is concerned about the challenges of making a
connection at airports but that carriers are working to fix the
problems. "Airports have some unique restrictions, and
there's a higher concentration of people," Shaginaw says.
"But we're trying to meet the demand from our
customers."